Chris Houghton Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I agree with Bordy. To each his own, and God forbid that we like and/or even ride well on a setup that is "wrong" - like pidgeon toed stance, too narrow stance, too narrow board, too wide board, and NOW asym when you "should" ride sym. I've had the opportunity to own and ride both, and the only comment I would make is that I had one asym and three sym boards, the technique really is different between the two styles, so guess which one I sold? Besides, having people in the lift line tell you that you board is broken is the best entertainment yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamran Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Besides, having people in the lift line tell you that you board is broken is the best entertainment yet. :D wow,..I so remember those remarks when I had an asym. always good for a smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I am not saying that Pureboarding should stop what they're doing and "get with the program". I've been saying all along if asyms work for you and you enjoy them then great. However for the NEWBY carver, it is important to steer them towards a symmetrical board for their first purchase. The simple fact is that the odds are much better that they will do better with it in the long run. If they reach a certain level and feel like the board is holding them back, then fine, they can try an asym. Asyms are kind of like the old Nava softboot system for skiing. The skiing industry has tried it and moved on. Some people loved it, some people still use it. Nothing wrong with that. But you wouldn't put a new skier on it. Believe me, I loved asyms. I thought they made sense, and I thought I was a real ace at riding them. I bought a 1994 PJ6 when my friends were buying the new symmetrical Stats because I was so sure asym was better...... until I tried a sym and a new technique. I sold the PJ at the end of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Jack, The Asym would be no more diffacult to learn on then the Sym to the newby carver if the were taught the correct inputs. They are different shapes requiring different inputs both which are NEW to the newby and should poses equally challanging. Also a Asym board requires more Sym. input then a Sym. board which requires more un human and unnatural Asym inputs. How ever the side argument is most racers use what turns and works best under race conditions(some of the knarylest out there) and in a world that most race boards are custom made and could be any shape and size the fact that the all end up being very close in shape and size must be considered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Interesting. My first experience riding a carving set-up was a '91 M6 w/flex and comp boots - going from about 2 seasons on a freeride set-up, the asym seemed very natural to learn basic carving technique. I found myself able to rail decent turns with relative ease - angles were in the upper 40s/low 50s. It WAS the asym that really hooked me on this carving "kick" that, a dozen years later, I haven't been able to shake :D Went to plates after a half a season on the softies and eventually bought a PJ - Didn't start on the sym board until about '97! Yep - I too was resistant to try it - LOVED my ASYMS! The input to a symmetrical stick is different and I really enjoy the gear that I ride now (still nurturing newly found love w/my Madd 170). Different input, but the sensation is absoulutely the same IMHO. Haven't ridden an asym in quite some time, but all this talk makes me kinda want to pull out an old '93 M6 I still have in the basement and give it a spin. That #1 those pureboarding folks rip on looks fun too. Any reviews for that stick on the radar, Billy? :) Try 'em all, ride what works for YOU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Sure, I can be a butt-head :) However I didn't say an asym would be harder to learn on, I said I (strongly) believe that most people in general can progress further on a symetrical board and the techniques used to ride one. IMO, heel-to-toe snowboard carving is a thing of the past. I also disagree that sym-board technique is somehow more asym and less natural than asym-board technique. Kamran, to answer your earlier question, my article was original work, with influence from the guy who I worked for as an instructor for four years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mattias Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Hi! I've been riding sym board for seven years (which means 7 different boards :-) )but has always had a bit of pain in my frontknee due to the exagerated pressure when initiating heelside turns. So once and for all I bought a couple of asym boards. So I did a proper testridesession over a last week. The board I've been using is F2 GTS 158 2004 (sym), Nitro GTR 156 (asym) and a 170 cm asym prototype. The Nitro has a comparable radius (9 m) to the F2 and the prototype has the same effective edge (but a radius of 10.3 m). I'm only 170 cm 63 kg. I tried the boards in every different snowcondition you will encounter and I also included a extreme carving session. Here are my conclusions: - It is easier to initiate a heelside turn with a asym board - Frontside turn is no difference - A asym board is quicker edge to edge because you don't have to shift your weight forward to initiate a heelsidecarve. - A sym board is a bit more stable at warp 10 speeds due to the sym nose. - A asym board is easier on your front knee and your frontleg. As soon as you have initiated the heelside turn the difference becomes less obvius. That means you can ride both board types really well but have to adjust your technic accordingly. So I am waiting for the return of the assym!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamran Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 - It is easier to initiate a heelside turn with a asym board my gf complained about her heelside initiation too on her sym. board. I just got her a used asym. board to try on our next trip. She is a beginner so I am very much interested in her findings. About the return of asym. mass production, the growth in freestyle and all mountain snowboarding in recent years has been tremendous. A few years down the road a tiny percentage of these boarders will see the light and convert to alpinism :) I believe that by then it will be commercially feasible for snowboard companies to mass produce asym. boards again. Right now, I guess you either happily ride your symmetrical board with a slightly different technique (like I am) or pay the extra $$ for a "One" by pure boarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest christoph Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 ...... snowboard companies to mass produce asym. boards ........ ........ or pay the extra $$ for a "One" by pure boarding. :) can be and would be nice ....... about the #one and the extra $$ my opinion is made. It's worth it! - The #one is better than any company produced asym. board was before. (like Nidecker Concept, Nidecker Extreme, Nitro Epic, Hot Logical, Hot Blast, Rad-Air Soul, Oxbow Zangerl, Oxbow WorldCup ........ ) - There are some tricky things with an asym. board that have to be solved and the companies often didn't manage to solve them. - The price for the #one came out higher then it was planed to be (from the first testboard to the final board). The reason was just the higher price for more and better materials that are used to produce the #one. - The #one is handmade by Kessler Snowboards for PureBoarding ....... and I guess his reputation also isn't bad. Who said something about shifting weight back on backside???? More Pics (daily new from Aspen) on www.pureboarding.com/en Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamran Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 and just when I thought I had seen them all http://www.snowblind.ch/cookie.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I know memories are not always pure fact but I could do anything on the old M6 I find the whole topic interesting particularly the technique rants. I quit skiing in the mid 80's because I wanted to have fun not listen to my dad chew my ass cause my knees weren't close enough together. So I feel a little sad when technique has to be perfect suddenly or you aren't worthy to walk the face of the earth. I also find it interesting looking at the direction some are going with the Skwal It seems to me that that set up is the perfect deal for those obsessed with facing completely forward. Don't get me wrong it looks like a blast and I will try it when I can. I Just have a blast climbing on an old beat to hell decambered PJ Just because I can. When I buy a new Harley I will not pass up an opportunity to ride a classic. I think the assym is a natural transition for a Jibber who is new to the sport of alpine it eases them into the forward angle thing. I will now duck and cover D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFluff Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I started out on a Burton M6 fifteen years ago. Since I've owned two different PJ's. I rode those boards until about three years ago. The only reason I switched was out of curiosity at first, and the only thing that makes a real difference in riding between the two are the PJ's are to soft. Now I ride a burton FP. Last year I was at the SES, and tried other boards as well. I think people put way to much emphasis on the board on there feet. If you're riding with proper form the board becomes so secondary, you forget it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I find the Pj to be a little soft as well although on the right day its a blast to bend that edge. I would love to get my hands on an M6 again just for old times sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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